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Hart of Dixie
Hart of Dixie debuted Monday, September 26, 2011 at 9/8c in Fall 2011 on the CW. Fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart has it all figured out - after graduating top of her class from medical school, she'll follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will. She quickly finds that Southern hospitality isn't always so hospitable - the other doctor in town, Brick Breeland, is less than pleased to be sharing the practice with this young outsider, and his daughter, Lemon, is a Southern belle whose sweet disposition turns sour when she meets Zoe. Zoe's only allies are the mayor, former football star Lavon Hayes, her bad-boy neighbor Wade Kinsella, and handsome lawyer George Tucker - who just happens to be Lemon's fiance. Zoe is out of her element and ready to pack her bags, but a surprise visit by her snobby New York mother leads to Zoe's decision to stay in Bluebell for a while, discovering small-town life and a side of herself she hadn't known was there. Season One was aired from September 26, 2011-May 14, 2012 on Monday at 9/8c. Season Two was aired from October 2-TBA on Tuesdays at 8/7c. On May 8, 2014, the CW renewed the show for its fourth season. On July 18, 2014, CW president Mark Pedowitz announced that Hart of Dixie would have ten episodes for its fourth season, which premiered on December 15, 2014. On March 14, 2015, Leila Gerstein revealed that season four of Hart of Dixie would be its last. The series cancelled by The CW on May 7, 2015 after four seasons. Cast and Characters Main Cast * Rachel Bilson as Zoe Hart * Scott Porter as George Tucker * Jaime King as Lemon Breeland * Cress Williams as Lavon Hayes * Wilson Bethel as Wade Kinsella Secondary Cast *McKaley Miller as Rose Hattenbarger *Tim Matheson as Brick Breeland *Kaitlyn Black as AnnaBeth Nass Recurring Characters *Eisa Davis as Addie Pickett *Deborah S. Craig as Shelley Ng *Ross Philips as Tom Long *Reginald VelJohnson as Dash DeWitt *JoBeth Williams as Candice Hart *Mallory Moye as Wanda *Laura Bell Bundy as Shelby Production HART OF DIXIE is from Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Fake Empire, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, with executive producers Leila Gerstein ("Gossip Girl," "Eli Stone"), Josh Schwartz ("Gossip Girl," "Chuck," "The O.C."), Stephanie Savage ("Gossip Girl," "The O.C."), Len Goldstein and Jason Ensler ("Gossip Girl," "Chuck"). The pilot was directed by Jason Ensler. Production Information * Number of episodes: 76 * Original Network: The CW * On-air: September 26, 2011 – March 27, 2015 * Created by: Lelia Gerstein * Executive Producer: Leila Gerstein, Donald Todd, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Jason Ensler, Len Goldstein * Producer: Sarah Kucserka, Kelly Van Horn, Veronica Becker, David Paymer, Ari Posner * Director of Photography: Jeffrey Jur, Buzz Feitshans IV, Robert Gantz, Brad Lipson, Larry Reibman * Production Designer: Mayling Chang * Edited by: Brandi Bradburn, Barbara Gerard, Les Bulter, Jeff Granzow, Benjamin James Bumgartner, Luke Pebler * Running time: 42 minutes * Production distribution: Fake Empire Productions, Dogarooski (2014–15), CBS Television Studios, Warner Bros. Television * Series status: Cancelled after four season on May 7, 2015. Filming Locations Much of the pilot episode of “Hart of Dixie” was filmed in the lovely Wilmington, North Carolina, which you may have recognized from CW staples “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill”. But since then, they’ve brought filming back to Los Angeles and have recreated the fictional town of Bluebell, Alabama on the Warner Brothers lot. [LiveTheMovies ] If you’re a fan of the HBO series “True Blood”, you probably recognized the exterior of the Rammer Jammer as the same that stands in for Merlotte’s. That’s because this exterior is on the Warner Brothers backlot, which both shows use for filming. [LiveTheMovies ] "Elvira Mistress of the Dark" was also filmed on this lot. Right nearby, in the “jungle” area of the WB backlot, is a little shack used as Wade’s cabin. It was used as a cafe in Million Dollar Baby and has been seen on “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Mentalist” as well. [LiveTheMovies ] If you're a fan of “Pretty Little Liars” or “Gilmore Girls”, you might have noticed the town square setting from the parade scenes (episode 102) in “Hart of Dixie” — that’s because it’s all the same town square! That’s right: Stars Hollow, Rosewood, and Bluebell are all the same with some different set dressings. [LiveTheMovies ] Critical Reception The show has received mixed reviews including a 43 out of 100 from Metacritic. TVLine has described the show as "Everwood-esque". TVLine later said: "Beautifully filmed with warm, cozy tones, the Southern setting utterly envelops the glowing Bilson" adding that Porter's appearance "wins us over and makes you forget that clunky intro" and despite the "rom-coms clichés, the pilot is super-efficient at introducing us to those who will be the key players in Zoe’s story, laying the framework for storytelling places to go." TVGuide.com described the show as "Southern Exposure" and added: "Expect culture clashes galore". Writing for The New York Times, critic Neil Genzlinger wrote, "...the premiere, at least, doesn’t find a convincing way to balance the clashing strands: the city-mouse disorientation, the medical emergencies, the girlfights, the daddy issues, the young-pretty-and-available stuff." Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote that the show is shallow, far-fetched and potentially offensive to people from Alabama. Bianco also wrote that Bilson gives an unconvincing performance, such as acting surprised when calling herself a doctor. Los Angeles Times reviewer Mary McNamara described the show as, "a stack of familiar scenarios stitched together to form a pretty if not terribly substantial quilt." DVD Release Notes/Trivia *Since the 1950s, Alabama state law has mandated that the phrase "Heart of Dixie" must appear on every Alabama car license plate, usually along with or inside a drawing of a heart. *The CW hired an aerial advertising service to fly a banner for this show around Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa during the September 24, 2011, Alabama-Arkansas football game. *The restaurant at which the characters in Bluebell hang out is called the "Rammer Jammer." This is a reference to a spectators' cheer yelled at University of Alabama football games when Alabama has just won or is clearly about to win. The cheer goes: "Hey, (opposing team)! Hey, (opposing team)! Hey, (opposing team)! We just beat the hell outta you! Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer Give 'em hell, Alabama!" The term "Rammer-Jammer" came from the title of a 1920s-era student newspaper, while the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama. The shooting location is the same as the one for the restaurant/bar Merlotte's in the HBO series True Blood. *In the 1982 novel "Shoeless Joe" by W. P. Kinsella, the (fictional) main character, Ray Kinsella, goes on a road trip to find the (real) writer J. D. Salinger, author of "Catcher in the Rye," because Salinger had a real-life habit of using the last name "Kinsella" for his characters and Ray wants to find out why. In "Hart of Dixie," the character of Wade Kinsella is played by Wilson Bethel, whose mother, the writer Joyce Maynard, had a very well-publicized relationship with J. D. Salinger. *The restaurant to which Lavon takes Zoe (where she tries grits for the first time) is the "Rammer Jammer." This is a reference to a spectators' cheer yelled at University of Alabama football games when Alabama has just won or is clearly about to win. The cheer goes: "Hey, (opposing team)! Hey, (opposing team)! Hey, (opposing team)! We just beat the hell outta you! Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer Give 'em hell, Alabama!" The term "Rammer-Jammer" came from the title of a 1920s-era student newspaper, while the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama. *The interior and exterior of the "Rammer Jammer" is the same set as Merlotte's from True Blood. *In Australia, the series airs on subscription channel, Fox8 each Saturday at 6:30pm from Januray 7, 2012. *In the United Kingdom, the series will air on free-to-air channel, Really from Spring, 2012. Awards People's Choice Awards See also *Season One *Season Two Category:Series Information